


New Beginnings

by coolbluerays



Category: Toy Story (Movies)
Genre: Bo Peep is a Badass, Mom mode activated, i will write them all myself if i HAVE TO, we need more bo central fics yall
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-14 18:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18953332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coolbluerays/pseuds/coolbluerays
Summary: She was so close, nearly at the last leg, and then- everything changed.





	New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU, based around the idea in the official Art of Toy Story 4 book, that the Antique Shop becomes a corrupt hardened city at night when the store closes. I hope you all enjoy! Please leave your kudos and comments if you enjoyed reading!

At the sound of the familiar door locks clicking into place, signalling that the Antique shop owners had left for the night, Bo looked toward the front door from her lamp. As soon as the pair had crossed the street, she rested her arms, stretched her legs and cracked her back. Holding still all day really made her limbs stiffen up. She stepped down from her lamp, turning to an upside down pot, lifting it up. Extending out the hook of her staff, she pulled her bag out from underneath it, unbuttoning it to get to her work suit. “Let’s go.” 

Billy, Goat and Gruff baa’ed, each head yawning slightly, stepping off to stick their heads inside the bag, biting the tied spool of yarn and placing it at the edge of the dresser. After Bo had changed out of her old ragged dress, stuffing the mess of dirty fabric and lace inside, she zipped the suit up to her chest. Grabbing the end of the yarn with a fish hook tied on, she pushed it deeply into a crack in the old wood. Her sheep climbed into the bag, and Bo made sure to button it securely, carrying it on her back. Billy licked her cheek affectionately, a sloppy “Good luck”. Bo slowly took her time, wrapping the yarn around her arm, it letting her climb smoothly down the front of the dresser, kicking off bit by bit until she reached the floor, her staff carefully cushioning her drop down. The others closest to the front windows had begun to move from their spots on shelves and tables, making small talk. 

“Let’s get to work.” she said, letting the sheep out so they could run ahead and stand guard at her store front. Having 12 legs made them a lot faster than they looked, and they zipped past everyone in no time. Toys from the tallest shelves pulled out horns, taking deep breaths before blowing hard into them, signalling to the entire store that it was exactly 8 o’clock. On cue the grandfather clock chimed 8 times. Bo watched the city to come to life, toys stepping out from their spots to start the night, and more importantly, shop at the marketplace. She hightailed it past families and other merchants rushing to take a booth. The marketplace ran on a “first come, first serve” rule, leaving you with two options: buy a shop, or snag the same spot every day before someone else.

She sharply turned a corner, careful to avoid the shady toys that tried to convince passersby to enter the black markets, underground fighting arenas and gambling dens. Always on the watch for potential victims, they worked for some of most powerful toys in the city, and knew how to rob you blind.

Others, like Bo, took a more practical approach, saving their wages to fix themselves, replace body parts and create new clothes and looks. She, like every other toy, wanted to leave, they all wanted a second chance to belong to a family again.

Bo walked through crowds of toys, talking amongst themselves, overhearing new price changes, and sales going on soon with the summer hitting. Everyone was excited at the thought of more possible kids coming to visit this season. She had planned to take advantage of this specific sale, it was a great chance for her and her sheep, her new dress nearly complete. All she really needed was lace and she’d be golden. 

Weaving past the last group around the main square, in the heart of the marketplace, Bo found Billy, Goat and Gruff sitting in front of her shop, located right at the corner of the busiest interaction, a prime location. “Good work boys,” she grinned, patting their heads. They wagged their tails, happy to help, settling into their cushioned bed in the front, acting as her guard dogs- or guard sheep. She climbed over the display case, turning on the tealights to illuminate her shop. Carefully her bag was lowered to the floor, revealing rolls of batteries rubber banded together, a roll of tape, screwdrivers and a tube of super glue. New fresh batteries were stacked in the front case, while she hung tape on either wall, the super glue laid on it’s display hooks. Taken from the electronic store next door, all her supplies were essential for toys trying to get fixed. That was her main business, “Bo’s Fix It”, a shop to supply and fix toys that came for help. While stealing wasn’t exactly an honest way to go about conducting one’s business, she was one of the few toys who risked making the trip, and did it successfully. It was still far more legitimate because she sold  _ working _ products. Able to provide a quality repair service she had learned over the years volunteering to take care of broken toys. This only helped her reputation, making her goods valuable and highly sought after in the long run.

If she were to be honest, she was probably one of the few shops that delivered _ any _ goods that worked. Many merchants scammed their customers, using shiny packaging on dead batteries, cheap markers, paints and materials that weren’t any better than scrap trash. Those who didn’t scam, chose to inflate their prices ridiculously high. 

It was all shades of wrong- you didn’t have to be corrupt, cheating or greedy to make a living for yourself, Bo certainly had never done anything of the sort and she was doing just fine. 

Maintaining her business and home weren’t easy, and she was considered a much newer member of the city. Many toys were quick to assume her new status coupled with her honest and kind demeanor were a sign of her naiveness and gullibility. But she had survived this long hadn’t she? She was smart enough to avoid gambling and booze, smart enough to know who to avoid asking for favors or loans. She learned to pick up on her new environment pretty quickly.

Straightening her back, she watched as more toys walked to and fro as the night sky grew darker, more lights being turned on. Merchants shouted out: “Stickers! We got stickers for sale!” “New shoes- Plenty of left shoes!” “Slightly used Sharpies, right here!” It grew louder with the bustling of feet; or wheels, claws, and whatever else passed through. 

Performers played music and sang in the main square, dancing around a giant lamp. She watched them move and spin their bodies around one another, in the glow of the warm yellow light. Looking at them as they moved their bodies, she watched a few couples move to the square to dance and kiss, affectionately holding one another. 

She missed dancing, hadn't really done it much since she arrived here. Almost every day was being put on display, and every night was spent working, and while it was the only way to survive, it was damn tiring on her. It hardly left her any time to do anything she wanted, rather than needed.

She rubbed her arm a bit, reminded of the way a certain cowboy could wrap his arms around her and make her melt with a few soft words.  _ May I have this dance?  _ Holding out his hand for her, smiling with warm brown eyes looking directly at her. She smiled, eyes closed, reaching her hand out in the distant memory,  _ Of course sheriff. _

The memory vanished as the store bell rang, and she looked over as a pretty plastic doll, looking not a day over 7, had walked shyly to her stand, nervously holding out some monopoly money. She had round hazel eyes, a cute round nose and warm, rich tan skin. She was a doll based off a character in an old but popular Korean television show. Her parents and little brother were with her, clearly for moral support. 

Bo found it odd that someone so cute and friendly-looking looked so- disheveled, her purple dress messy from dust and dirt, the edges torn at the bottom. Her hair was in messy loose twin buns, made of black synthetic fibers.

“What do you need sweetie?” Bo asked, smiling. She leaned over the case, taking the money and setting it into a box.

“I need some tape please?” the girl asked, rubbing and showing Bo a open gash on her neck. She seemed to fidget by any loud noise, turning her back to look behind her, paranoid of something coming after her. The girl’s father gently rubbed her back, whispering something into her ear, which seemed to help her calm down. The little brother, no older than 5, clung to his sister’s hand, clearly shaken up for unspoken reasons.

_ Ah. Another broken toy in need of repairs. _ “Come in- I can help with that.” Bo said, helping the girl climb over. Pulling a wooden block over, she lifted the little girl up to sit, examining her gash with a flashlight. Taking the tape roll off the wall she began pulling it out, cutting a long strip and wrapping it around the her neck. “Mind if I ask how this happened?” Bo spoke in a gentle voice. Making small talk like this helped to calm the nerves of her customers, and she was genuinely concerned about the girl’s safety. The cut was far too clean to be by accident.

“I was walking on the high cabinet with my little brother, Dae Jung, here-” She gestured to the little boy peeking over the case, watching them with big eyes. “We took the wrong turn and ended up in front of Gabby Gabby’s home.” she explained, trailing off quietly, gripping her dress.

Bo pursed her lips, “Did they hurt you?” she asked, pressing slightly. She didn’t have to mention who “they” were, everyone knew the Bensons loved to do Gabby’s dirty work. The girl simply nodded, rubbing her neck with the tape now around it. “She didn’t like that he was running around and touching her things, called us- dirty, cheap. He didn’t know any better- he was just curious-. They tried to hurt him, to- to teach him a lesson, so I made him run away while I distracted them.” she recounted in a small voice. She began to hug herself and Dae Jung’s lip began to wobble, barely able to hold back his tears. Bo couldn’t imagine what they must have gone through facing someone like Gabby alone. 

Gabby was well feared, only because of her loyal gang of ventriloquist dummies, the Bensons. Rumored to have been found abandoned on the side of the road in a box when they came here, they had been locked away in basements, attics, and storage for so long they didn’t know how to socialize with other toys. Gabby had found them one day, gave them a voice and saved them from being completely isolated forever. In return, they had stayed completely loyal to her, as she was the only toy that showed them anything but fear. They protected her, spoiled her, and did everything she asked. It was part of the reason Gabby was the way she was, able to stay on top, enjoying new clothing and fresh paint to keep herself pristine. All she did was stay on display and gamble, not a care for a single living thing besides herself. She was the self-proclaimed face of perfection, the symbol of wealth and power and she wore it like a badge of honor.

There were even rumors Gabby kept thousands of new Monopoly bills stashed away as part of a collection, a ridiculous collection of all things 1950s. She had an apparent obsession of the “good old days” and dressed, talked and acted as such, even to the point of complete madness if others didn’t “play along”.

Bo felt anger boil up in her chest. If she was alone she might have hit something or cursed profusely just to blow off some steam, but she had customers and didn’t want to scare them off with her temper, they had been through far enough.

Bo pulled out a comb and rubber bands from a tin box, brushing out the girl’s hair gently. She looked surprised but let Bo continue to comb and smooth it, braiding it. Bo pulled out a mirror for her to look into. “You’re going to be just fine- You’re stronger than you may think.” 

The girl looked at herself, touching her neck and admiring the new hairdo, “Thank you for fixing me up- I look better.”

Bo smiled, placing a little plastic flower into her hair “Be careful out there. And feel free to come back if you need a friend.” she added, squeezing her shoulder. “What’s your name?” 

The girl looked up at her “It’s Ha Eun.” 

“Bo. Glad we could have this chat Ha Eun.” Bo said with a kind smile. “And for the record- you’re about the bravest toy I’ve ever met.” 

Ha Eun smiled, blushing. “Thank you Bo-. My mama is sewing me a new dress soon- I’ll look much better next time you see me.” She said, with her shoulders relaxed now, a genuine smile gracing her face.

Once Bo helped Ha Eun back to the front, Ha Eun held her parent’s hands. They profusely thanked Bo for her help. Ha Eun’s mother gave Bo a beautiful keychain with a photo of a sunset, as it was the family trade apparently. They left for home with a promise to visit soon, and while Bo was happy to help, she was left with a sick twisting in her stomach. Third time this month another victim of Gabby and her little minions had come here in need of her. Why? Because the “lesser” toys made the mistake of existing in Gabby’s general direction and  _ that  _ was enough to set her off.

Bo was at her wit’s end with Gabby.  _ Someone outta teach her a lesson, _ she thought to herself, cleaning the batteries and organizing stock. She couldn’t help when the thought occurred, it sort of popped up out of nowhere. Gabby clearly flaunted off way more than she needed, while Bo knew toys personally that were barely able to stand on a leg right now. The more she thought about it, the more angry she could feel herself getting, practically shaking in her seat. 

She worked to rub the batteries especially clean, sweeping the floor and rearranging the furniture with the burst of angry energy drumming through her body. Children like Ha Eun were too young to have bear those kinds of physical and emotional scars, what kind of life was that?

Bo took a seat, sitting back into the pillow, shutting her eyes. Gabby didn’t need half the things she bought, there were so many toys that needed even just a tiny fraction of her fortune to make life a little easier here. They deserved it. 

Mentally she let her mind wander, imagining if she could break into Gabby’s apartment, how would she go about doing that. Working it out in her head, Friday nights would be perfect. Gabby left her estate to watch toy fighting at the arena, the Bensons having to follow her there to make sure she wouldn’t be harmed. And say, if Bo were to sneak in and find the rumored stash of Monopoly money, that could be enough to help a number of the families that really needed it. Starting with Ha Eun’s.

But it was crazy. Too crazy even for her.

Bo exhaled the anger and stress built up in her chest out through her nose, letting go of the death grip she had on her pants. She was only a toy, a porcelain one at that, even she had to admit when a job was just too big for her to handle.

A  _ thump _ on the side of her display case turned her head around, a wobbling old metallic snake doll wrapped in a dark hooded cloak grumbling as he rubbed his knee. “Rattles?” she asked, standing up, stepping forward. “Hi-ya Bo.” Rattle waved, stumbling on his feet. Bo suddenly caught a whiff of beer coming off him. “Rattles you stink- You were at the Break Room again weren’t you?” she said, waving a hand in her face. He stunk of beer and rust, leaving a nasty aroma in the air, his normally shiny red eyes hazy from drunkenness. 

Time had not been kind to the metallic snake man. His limbs rusting up terribly these days since he had started consuming beer cans from the “Break Room” fridge, one of the most notorious gambling dens in all of the city. 

“Nu- _ uh.  _ Just… working.” he lied, falling forward over the display. Bo sighed, lifting the old fart over and letting him lie on a blanket in the back. He was knocked out cold by the time he laid down.

A long time customer of her shop, she had known Rattles from the beginning of her time here. He helped show her the ropes of the city in exchange for her goods, seeing as the man barely worked. Once a respected member of this society who protected others and was paid well for it, now he was old and washed up, and had a problem with gambling away everything that he owned. He had never won a single bet to save his life, but his heart was usually in the right place. Usually. 

Pushing the thoughts of Gabby out from her mind, she focused on selling and fixing, closing up once the sun had started to rise. Billy, Goat and Gruff looked up to her, wagging their tails after napping for so long, well rested.  _ At least they’ll be ready to go. _ She knelt to stroke their heads, packing her bag. “I know- come on. Few hours of shut eye for me and back to the lamp.” she said, yawning. They suddenly jumped her, licking her face and nuzzling her, and she laughed, delighted by the surprise cuddles. “Okay, okay let’s go home. I promise to get some sleep today.” They firmly huffed, nodding their heads. She knew they constantly worried, able tell when she was running on little sleep and exhausted from going days on end without proper rest. Some days felt like they were taking care of her instead of the other way around.

Kicking Rattles in the side, she woke him, making him take his sorry butt back home. “Do you have to be so mean about it?” he groaned, a wobble in his tired legs, “Yes, or else you’d never leave.” she replied, walking with him until they hit the fork in the road, heading in different directions. Rattles chose to stay in the back room, the free space gave him room to nap and drink to his heart’s content, personally Bo couldn’t understand why a toy would prefer to be so isolated from others.

Walking overhead, Bo reached one of the largest cabinets in the center of the store. She spun the fish hook end until it gained enough momentum for her to toss it high up into the side off the wood, digging in it securely. Billy, Goat and Gruff hopped into her bag, and she used double sided tape on her feet, to pull herself up, pushing with her legs. She pulled out additional fish hooks and climbed the wall until she reached the ledge. Passing by her neighbors, the old stuffed frog, Ms. Jackeline, who complained often about electronic toys being too loud and disrespectful. The irony not lost on Bo, and the large family of Lego people, she slide the glass door of the display case at the far right end open, maneuvering between ceramic and porcelain dishware until she reached the backing. 

She dropped her bag, letting Billy, Goat and Gruff out to stretch their legs. Rolling her sleeves up, she lifted the wooden panel away to reveal her home, neatly tucked in the unused back space of the cabinet. She let out a breath.  _ Every day gets a little easier,  _ she reminded herself, stretching her arms and cracking her back with a satisfying  _ pop _ . Falling onto her bed, she looked up at the ceiling, and turned on her side at the digital watch taped to the side of the wall. It read  _ 7:00am,  _ giving her at least two hours.

She shut her eyes, letting her body relax into the soft cushion, and as she tried to fall asleep she could feel Billy, Goat and Gruff pull the blanket over her, climbing into bed beside her, snuggling under her arm. Smiling softly, she hugged them, kissing their heads. “We’ll get out of here soon- I promise.” she whispered.

  
  
  



End file.
